6 DECEMBER 1968, Page 2

PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK

The British ambassador in Moscow was given a violent dressing-down by Mr Gromyko. Britain had apparently been using the events in Czechoslovakia to launch a propaganda campaign 'hostile to the Soviet Union.' The Middle East continued to warm up as Israel launched reprisal attacks into the heart of Jordan and President Nasser announced that student unrest in Cairo was the work of an Israeli agent, whom he had captured. Lord Chalfont returned from visiting the Falkland Islands and Argentina without having suc- ceeded in convincing the islanders that they would be better off as Argentinians. It was thought that other means of persuasion were being considered.

In Armagh an ugly situation developed be- tween a civil rights procession, which had police permission to proceed, and militant Protestants; at Westminster a request for an emergency debate on the breakdown of law

and order in Ulster was shouted down by two Ulster Unionists and declined by the Speaker. A private document circulating among Angli- can and Roman Catholic bishops suggested that unity between the Churches was `far from imminent.'

Mr Callaghan suggested that Mr Jenkins's `two years' hard slog' may take rather longer, probably more like five years. One opinion poll said the Tory lead had jumped to 27 per cent. A Mr John Wells, rumoured to be the Conservative NIP for Maidstone, drew attention to himself in the House of Commons by eating an apple there. Mrs Renee Short, left-wing Labour Member for Wolverhampton North East, who said that she had nothing in common with Mr Enoch Powell, urged a ban on further work vouchers for immigrants in the Wolver- hampton area. Mr Powell described himself as a safety valve. Mr Tariq All described him as saying in public what twist MPS be- lieved in private. At a meeting of the BJa Power movement in Birmingham, the chair. man called on coloured workers to ruin In nation's economy as a means of self-help.

Mr Donald Longmore, of the National Hea Hospital, said that at least two people had di in London recently for want of a heart donor The switch to British Standard Time pro'' extremely unpopular. A child was killed goln to school in the dark, and the Governmen promised to review the experiment at the e of the winter. There was a battle betwee police and students in San Francisco, thousa of Italian students marched upon Rome, a at Birmingham University there was a sit. by students. Two main pipelines carrying Iva to Birmingham were blown up in Worceste' shire, and members of the Free Wales A claimed credit. It was announced that more half-crowns will be struck after year.